The 'create nurturing outside environments: supporting infant and young children's free movement and active play' project by Regroupement des Centres de la Petite Enfance de la Montérégie (RCPEM) provided information and training to six pilot communities to address limitations in outdoor play, outdoor play spaces, and parental attitudes to outdoor play. They developed and tested...
Nature and Why It’s Essential for Kids’ Brains: Information for Parents and Caregivers info sheet from ementalhealth.ca provides information on what spontaneous outdoor play is, the health benefits of spontaneous outdoor play for children's physical and mental health based on evidence from the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play, and the disadvantages of indoor play...
Rockyview Play is an outdoor play space consultant firm that designs and builds nature-based projects for schools, communities, developers, municipalities, day care centres, and private clients. Their outdoor nature-based designs include the Dermot District Park Natural Playground in Edmonton, the Natural Playscape in Banff, and the Nellie McClung School naturescape model in Calgary. Learn more about...
The Wanuskewin Heritage Park interpretive playground in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, designed by Earthscape Play in collaboration with Crosby Hanna & Associates, was designed as an inviting space for children to explore and challenge themselves while making subtle connections (gathering circles, bison sculpture, rubbing rock) to the cultures and stories of the many Indigenous Peoples who have...
The Nature for Health and Equity Briefing, by the Friends of the Earth Europe and Institute for European Environmental Policy, provides an overview of the impact a lack of access to nature and natural areas has on health inequality. Topics in the briefing include: nature for children and adolescents, for well-being, for a sense of...
Mentoring Nature Connections is a British Columbia-based blog dedicated to supporting teachers in gaining confidence with outdoor teaching and learning. Resources on this site focus on Reggio-inspired practices, including: Student-led learning Collaboration between parents, teachers, other community members Use of '100 languages' to communicate Environment as a third teacher Teacher as a facilitator Loose parts...
The O'Brien Farm Foundation is among 8 recipients of the Lawson Foundation’s Outdoor Play Strategy 2.0 funding pool. Their project, entitled ‘Informing Early Learning and Child Care Legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador’ aims to demonstrate the Cloudberry Forest School as a learning lab. They will identify best practices, risk management procedures, appropriate ratios, health and safety...
The Classroom Gardener, a collaborative project between Room To Play Educational Consulting and Victory Gardens Vancouver, aims to build confidence and capacity in the use of school gardens as playful spaces for cross-curricular learning. They offer professional development for teachers, on-site organic garden coaching, and curated resources for playful learning from, with, and on the land. Learn...
Room to Play Consulting, led by Megan Zeni, aims to transform children’s experiences of school through outdoor play and learning, shift perceptions towards play as a legitimate pedagogical approach, and support teachers in getting more kids outdoors more often. Room to Play offers professional development for teachers on all things outdoor play that includes: Cross-curricular...
The Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA) provides professional development, resource documents and materials to help support teachers in expanding outdoor learning opportunities in British Columbia. Their resources include the Position Statement on Education Outside the Classroom, which outlines the benefits of spending time outside, offers recommendations on bringing education outdoors, and includes call to...
